Jesse Vaughan has made films such as “Juwanna Mann” and “The Last Punch”. Over the past several years, he has made Virginia State University a powerhouse for commercial, documentary, and short film creation.
The 61-year-old native of Richmond has received new accolades for decades of work as a director, producer and filmmaker.
Mr. Vaughan received the Ted Yates Lifetime Achievement Award in the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the 62nd Emmy Awards of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
The prize was awarded in a virtual ceremony last Saturday together with regional Emmys.
Mr. Vaughan has been cited for receiving more than 30 Emmy Awards for his work in Hollywood and at VSU, “diagnosed with dementia after major tragedy and while caring for his aging mother.”
Vaughan, who now lives in Petersburg and who was director of the VSU department of the Advanced Creative Services Group for nine years, “also supports the local art scene, lends his talents to charitable organizations and mentors young filmmakers and enthusiasts,” the quote says.
Mr. Vaughan, a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame at Virginia Commonwealth University, is not resting on his laurels.
Along with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Mr. Vaughan and the VSU department he heads won four regional Emmys in the competition. NATAS ‘National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter covers the area that includes Richmond, Norfolk, Washington and Baltimore.
Three of the Emmys were honored for the VSU’s 5-minute short video “Say your name – School of Thinking”, in which black women and girls like Sandra Bland, Rekia Boyd, Aiyana Jones and others who have died by the police or police are awarded be in an unjust way.
The emotional video won an Emmy for Public, Current, or Community Affairs, and Vaughan won the Editor Emmy for his work in creating the video.
The Emmy for writing also went to Dr. Zoe Spencer, a VSU professor of sociology, social work, and crime
Justice who created and delivered the essay in the video. Dr. Spencer said she designed “Say Her Name” to pay homage to women who have been killed in the present and past and to pay more attention to the often overlooked female victims of racism and police brutality.
The video shows Dr. Spencer with photos and video clips stitched together by Mr. Vaughan to show what happened to the women.
Mr. Vaughan and his department also received an Emmy for the commercial Study Jazz at VSU, which the university used to promote the program.
Meanwhile, WTVR Channel 6 in Richmond took home 17 regional Emmys, while NBC12, WWBT Channel 12 won eight Emmys.